Woman Injured In Acid Attack In Mumbai

The accused has been arrested…

Mumbai: In the early hours on Friday, a woman was severely injured in an acid attack in Lokmanya Tilak Marg area in south Mumbai, a police official said.

The 62-year-old accused was known to the victim and has been arrested by police now, he said.

"Staffers at the hospital alerted the police where the victim was immediately rushed after the attack. Officials including the deputy commissioner of police have visited the spot. The attack was carried out due to previous enmity," he said.

"Acid was thrown at the woman near about at 5:30am when she was filling water. The accused first abused her badly. He was held from the vicinity while trying to flee," the official said.

The man has been charged under Indian Penal Code sections 326 (a), 307, 504, 506 for attempt to murder, causing grievous hurt using acid and criminal intimidation, the official said.

The effects of acid attack on the skin include blindness and permanent scars. It is immediate and often devastating. But scars aren’t just physical, it also causes psychological scars and more.

Current data on acid attack accidents shows that reported cases have declined in the last three years. But the path toward justice for victims continues to be very long.

In the last five years, 1,362 acid attacks were reported in the country, according to NCRB data. In 2021, as per the latest available data, 176 acid attacks were reported, along with 73 “attempts to acid attack”.

West Bengal reported the highest number of acid attacks which is 34, followed by Uttar Pradesh (22), and Rajasthan (15). However, independent agencies estimate that about 60 per cent of acid attack cases are unreported.